An album that almost went unnoticed by modern listeners until the shoegazers started citing it as an influence. Key members Jason Pierce (aka 'J Spaceman') and Peter Kember (aka 'Sonic Boom') are masters of the minimalist drone, on this album applying it to a conceptual drug trip. 'Roller Coaster' reveals the Elevators influence.
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Isn't Anything My Bloody Valentine 1988 [Creation]
Anyone who expects this to be just a toned-down precursor to 1991's classic Loveless album is in for a surprise. If anything this record is the more experimental and psychedelic of the two, while still containing shades of the group's dream pop heritage. As a sign of what was to come there are also a handful of shoegazing gems.
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Frigid Stars LP Codeine 1990 [Glitterhouse]
The record that put the 'slow' in slowcore and the 'sad' in sadcore. This New York outfit didn't change its sound much during its brief existence, so the debut is probably as good a place as any to hear what they are like. The obvious influences are found in some of the earlier and darker krautrock and, as their name suggests, can be a real downer at times.
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Nowhere Ride 1990 [Sire]
Topnotch British shoegazers that never quite made it in the commercial world. Often regarded as the "second-best" album of its genre (behind MBV's Loveless), Nowhere features two fan favourites in 'Vapour Trail' and 'Dreams Burn Down'. Like most shoegazers they were never all that interesting live, which factored in their break-up in 1996.
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Loveless My Bloody Valentine 1991 [Creation]
The album that inspired a host of shoegazing imitators took two years to make at a cost of £250 thousand, almost bankrupting their label in the process. Singer/guitarist Kevin Shields was obsessive throughout, with engineers coming and going like dirty underwear. The result was a sonic masterpiece that continues to grow in stature.
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Up the Downstair Porcupine Tree 1993 [Delerium]
The most psychedelic of Porcupine Tree's early albums kicks off with a little monologue that would make the Moody Blues proud. The record continues through some atmospheric space rock and, of course, Steven Wilson's driving guitar. It makes for a pleasing mix, although very different to later commercial efforts like In Absentia (2002).
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A Storm in Heaven The Verve 1993 [Hut]
England's the Verve would eventually hit it big with the classic pop sounds of 1997's Urban Hymns, but their full-length debut finds them firmly in shoegaze/space rock territory. The talent on display is obvious, with expansive workouts offering up dreamy psychedelic excursions into the recesses of the mind. An excellent record.
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Souvlaki Slowdive 1993 [Creation]
Unfortunately for these British shoegazers, by the time they made this album grunge had virtually trampled the genre out of existence. In the face of all this Souvlaki managed to carve out an audience thanks to the strength of Neil Halstead's songwriting and a couple of contributions from Brian Eno. Good album that just missed the bus.
